Fastener setting machine



Feb. 21, 1933. l. REITER 1,898,019

FASTENER SETTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l l v 9 Dame] e: er

Feb. 21, D R T R 1,898,019

FASTENER SETTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FASTENER SETTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Egg l NVENTOR Da mbf Z Rafter KT; ORNEY Feb. 21, 1933.

D. l. REITER FASTENER SETTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 2, 1928 Eff? fig-'11 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Dumb] I Heifer Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNHTED STATES DANIEL I. REITER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FASTENER SETTING MACHINE Application filed October 2, 1928. Serial No. 309,738.

This invention relates to machines for inserting pronged fastener elements into fabric, leather, imitation leather, or other similar material.

My invention contemplates the provision of a simple and efficient machine for automatically feeding and setting a series of pronged' fastener elements in place in a sheet of material rapidly and effectively at the will of the operator of the machine. The various objects of my invention will be clear from the description which follows and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine.

Fig. 2 is a to plan View of the hopper and chute, the opper cover having been first removed.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of the chute for guiding and forwarding the fastener elements.

Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of a portion ofthe hopper, showing the discharge opening for the fastener elements and the guide member for directing the elements through the discharge opening.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the pronged fastener element upon which the machine is designed to operate.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side view, partially in vertical section, of the chute for the elements, and of the plunger rod for setting and flanging the elements.

Fig. 8 is a front View and partial vertical section of the same, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section of the receiving and aligning jaws for the elements.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the jaws and of the supporting means therefor.

Fig. 11 is a vertical section of a piece of material showing the fastener element as it appears when secured thereto by my improved machine, and I Fig. 12 is a front view similar to Fig. 8, showing the positions assumed by the Various parts just before the fastener element is pressed through the material and flanged over.

In that practical embodiment of my invention which I have illustrated by way of example, the machine may include a suit.- able base or stand as 10, adapted to rest on the floor and carrying a fuse box as 11 and an electric motor as 12. On the upper face 13 of the base is suitably secured the frame 14 as by means of the bolts 15, a switch as 16 of any well known type being provided for controlling the supply of current to the motor 12. While I have shown and described an electric motor for the purpose of supplying power to my improved machine, it will be understood that any other suitable means such as pulleys or the like, may be used for operating the machine, as is well understood.

The main shaft 20 of the machine is supported by the frame 14 asby means of suitable bearings 21 and 22. Near one end of the main shaft 20 is arranged the pulley 23, driven continuously by the belt 24 from the motor pulley 25. Mounted for continuous rotation with the pulley 23 and coaxially therewith is the smaller pulley 26 whereby rotation of the pulley 23 causes rotation of the pulley 26 at a lesserperipheral speed. Said pulley 26 serves to transmit power to the hopper mechanism through the intermediary of the pair of pulleys 27, mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis on the frame 14, and the hopper pulley 28 mounted to rotate about a vertical axis. The belt 29 passes about the pulleys 26 and 28, the pulleys 27 serving to change the direction of movement of the belt and thereby to operate the parts for rotation in the proper direction. I

The hopper of my improved machine adapted to receive and discharge the pronged fastener elements will now be described. Said hopper consists of a stationary casing as 30 open at the top and adapted to be covered by means of the removable cover 31.

The bottom of the casing is provided with a suitable bearing extension 39 secured to the arm 82 of the frame 14 and fixed in place as by means of the screw 33. Inside of the casing and mounted for continuous rotation therein is the bottom plate 34 forming the effective bottom of the hopper and secured to the shaft 35 on which the pulley 28 is mounted as by means of the nut 36, a sui able washer as 37 being interposed between said plate and the bottom of the casing. The shaft 35 passes through the bearing 39 and is rotatably mounted therein as by means of the anti-friction bearing 38.

The fastener elements 40 upon which my improved machine is designed to operate are preferably provided with the prongs 41,,and may be supplied in any desired quantities to the hopper 30 after the cover 31 thereof has first been removed. Said fastener elements rest on the rotating plate 34 and are agitated and carried around the casing thereby in a path, the first part of which is substantially circular. The elements, however, are finally thrown by the plate 34 by centrifugal force toward the side of the hopper as will be more fully explained hereinafter. For allowing the discharge of said fastener elements 40 from the hopper, a discharge opening as 42 is made in the upright wall 43 of the casing 30, said discharge opening communicating with the hopper chute 44. In order to prevent the fastener elements from entering the chute upside down, a depending stop 45 projects from the wall of the easing into said opening 42, whereby those elements at the opening which do not have their prongs arranged uppermost cannot pass the stop 45 .and are carried by the plate 34 past the discharge opening and back into the hopper. Those elements 40, however, which rest on the plate 34 in the position shown in Fig. 6, when they arrive at i the discharge opening 42, may pass therethrough since the stop member 45 merely passes between the prongs of the fastener element and does not obstruct the discharge thereof when the element has been twisted into the proper position by the crowding and pressure exerted thereupon by other elements directed toward said opening.

For the purpose of directing the fastener elements in the hopper toward the discharge opening 42, I arrange an obstructing or impact member 46 in the path of the elements thrown out to the side of the hopper by centrifugal force. Said member may take the form of a bent plate secured to the bottom of the hopper wall 43 as by means of the bolt 44, passing throughthe slot 69 of the member 46 whereby said member may be adjusted to the proper position to cause the elements to strike thereagainst and to'rebound therefrom, a bend as 47 projecting into the path of the fastener elements contained in the hopper. As the plate 34 rotates, said elements are thrown by centrifugal force against the impact member 46, from which they are reflected and rebound toward the opening 42. It will be understood that the member 46 is so arranged and so shaped and may be so adjusted that many of the fastener elements will be directed to a point close to or at the discharge opening 42. However, to insure the passage of the elements through said opening, I prefer to provide a stop or guide 48 on one side of the discharge opening 42. Said stop is suitably secured in place as by the screw 49 passing into the support 50, which in turn, is secured to the casing wall 43 by means of the screws 51. The end of the stop is brought into close contact with the upper surface of the plate 34 so that none of. the prongs of the fastener elements can work their way between the stop and the plate and thereby become j ammed.

It will be seen that the crowding of the fastener elements upon each other as they accumulate near the discharge opening and are prevented from moving past by the stop 48, tends to force said elements through the discharge opening aided by the rotation of the plate 34 and the impact of the fasteners directed against the accumulated fasteners by the impact member 46 so that a constant flow of elements pass through the discharge opening into the chute, provided, of course, that a sufficient number of elements are fed to the hopper.

The chute 44 receives the elements with the prongs thereof up, and leads them toward the setting position into which they drop by gravity. Said chute is provided wit-h the chute opening 52,-covered at the sides by suitable spaced plates as 53 secured to the chute by the screws 54 and thereby preventing the'elements from falling out of the front of the chute while allowing the single row of aligned fasteners therein to be seen at all times. At its lower end 63, the chute body is bent toward the plunger rod 5 4 so as to feed the fastener elements toward setting position with the prongs 41 thereof pointed downwardly. Just above the lower end '63, the plates 53 terminate and are replaced by the movable plate 56. A small hole as 55 is made near the end of the chute, through which hole a pin may be inserted for preventing the fastener elements above the pin from falling out of the chute when the lower part of the chute is opened for anypurpose, as will now be explained.

Should the elements in the chute become jammed or should any of said elements be come twisted in any way or disarranged or damaged, no injury can result to the machine since undue pressure on the chute so caused merely causes the yieldable cover plate 56 to swing about its pivot and gives warning to the operator, who is thereby allowed access to the bottom of the chute for the pur- Cal pose of re-arranging said elements and removing defective or damaged elements, and for any other purpose which may be found desirable. The swingable cover plate 56 at the lower end of the chute forms part of the guidingmeans for the elements, said plate being pivoted, as by means of the pin 57, at its upper end and spring-pressed into operative position by means of the spring '58, interposed between the washer 59 behind the head 60 of the projecting screw 61, and the plate 56.

Said screw 61 passes through a suitably enlarged opening in the plate 56 and into one of the cover plates 53. A suitable slot as 64 may be made in'the plate 56 into which slot a tool may be inserted for manipulating the fasteners of the chute or for swinging the plate 56 out of the way so as to remove any defective elements which may be caught at the end of the chute.

The setting mechanism will nowbe described. Said mechanism includes the crank at one end of the main shaft 20, said crank being provided with a connecting link 71 secured thereto at its upper end as by means of the screw 72. The lower end of the link 71 is secured to the plunger 54, being inserted into the slot 73 in the upper end of the plunger and secured therein as by means of the pin 74. The lower end of said plunger is provided with a reduced head 75 adapted to enter the opening 76 of the fastener element 40 and to frictionally engage said element, the fit between the head 75 and the sides of the opening 76 being such that the fastener element is retained on said head during the raising of the plunger by frictional engagement. Since the fastener element 40 is more or less springy, being adapted to receive a stud fastener element, the head 75 may even be forced into the opening 76, which yields sufficiently to allow the entrance of said head thereinto.

Said plunger 54 is mounted for vertical reciprocation in a suitable bearing in the frame 14 and is arranged close to the ter minal lower edge 77 of the chute. For aligning the lowermost fastener element in the chute in proper position to be set into the material 78, I prefer to provide a pair of oppositely disposed spring jaws 79, said jaws being similar to each other. A description of one will therefore suffice for both.

Each of said jaws 79 is provided with an opening 80 in the bottom 81 thereof, which opening is of less diameter than that of the fastener element 40 so that said element rests on the bottom 81 in the proper position to be gripped by the plunger head 7 5 when the plunger is moved downwardly. The jaws, however, are adapted to be spread apart through the intermediary of the fastener element on downward movement of the plunger, the bottom 81 being slightly inclined for that purpose. For pivotally mounting said jaws, I prefer to provide means similar to that for mounting the spring-pressed plate 56. Said means consist of the bar 82 secured at its lower end to the jaw as by means of the screw 83 and pivoted on the pin 84; at its upper end, said pin being secured to the frame 14 and passing through a hole 85 in the bar.

"or normally maintaining the jaws in their retracted positions, I provide-a spring 86 interposed between the washer 87 and the bar and arranged on the screw 88, secured to and projecting from the frame 14.

It will be seen that as the plunger 54 is moved downwardly, the rounded head 75 thereof may enter the central spring opening 75 of the fastener element and properly align said element for the setting operation. Since the prongs 41 of the element rest on the inclined bottoms 81 of the jaws, the pressure of the plunger on the element first causes said element to ride up on the head 75 until it reaches the shoulder 89, after which further movement of the plunger causes the jaws to spread against the action of the springs 86 (Fig. 12) until the element passes through the enlarged opening 80 between the jaws. The plunger maintains the'jaws in their-spread positions until the plunger is retracted.

The material 78 in which the element is to be set is arranged above the anvil 90, secured to the arm 91 by the screw 92. Said anvil is properly shaped at its upper surface 93 to turn over and to flange the prongs 41 tightly on to the undermost surface of the piece of material.

I As is well understood, the motor 12 and the pulley 23 driectly driven thereby may rotate continuously without rotation of the main shaft 20 and no consequent movement of the plunger 5%. but one revolution may be given said shaft 20 by means of'a suitable treadle 95'and a non-repeat or onerevolution clutch 96 interposed between the pulley 23 and in Said shaft. As illustrated, the treadle 95 is pivoted to the base 10 as at 97 and is normally held in inoperative position as by means of the spring 98. The link 99 connected to the treadle serves to release the non-repeat clutch 96 and to thereby cause the pulley 23 to turn the shaft 20 for a single revolution when the treadle 95 is depressed.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows:

Power having been supplied to the motor 12 by operating the switch 16, the pulley 23 and the hopper plate 34. are continuously rotated. Fastener elements now being supplied to the hopper, said elements are first carried about a circular'path by the plate 34 and when they attain sufficient speed, are thrown by said plate to the side wall of the hopper. Many of said elements strike the impact member 46 and are caused to rebound in the direction of the dotted arrow of Fig. 2 toward the discharge opening of the hopper. The stop member 48 causes a number of said elements to accumulate at the dis charge opening, so that those of said elements which are arranged with the prongs uppermost can pass the spur 45 and enter the chute 4:4. VVhenthe chute is filled, it will be understood that the elements in the hopper simply keep on moving until suflicient room is made in the chute for more elements to enter thereinto. The lowermost element in the row aligned by the chute is arranged between the jaws 29 while the plunger 54 is in its uppermost position, ready to grip nd advance said lowermost element.

WVhen the operator now depresses the treadle 95, the non-repeat clutch 96 is released and operatively connects the pulley 23 to the shaft 20. The plunger is thereby given a complete reciprocatory stroke. 011 the downward portion of said stroke, the head forces its way into the opening 76 of the fastener element and causes said element to be frictionally gripped at the head. Further downward movement of the plunger causes said element to spread the jaws 79 apart so that said element may pass through the opening 80 between the jaws. On the final part of the movement of the plunger rod, the prongs 41 are passed through the material 78 and engage the rounded surface 93 of the anvil 90, thereby turning out and fianging the prongs. G11 the upward stroke of the plunger, the head 75 becomes disengaged from the fastener element and after the plunger has passed through the jaws 79, said jaws are caused to retract by the springs 86 and to receive the next fastener element of the row in the chute, ready for the repetition of the operation.

It will be seen that I have provided simple and efficient means for automatically delivering the fastener elements in the proper position for setting said elements. It will also be seen that I have provided simple means for preventing injury to the machine on the jamming of elements by the plunger in the lower part of the chute and for allowing easy access to the elements in the chute at all times.

lVhile I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not intend to be understood as limitingmyself thereto since I intend to claim my invention as broadly as may be permitted by the state of the prior art and the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a hopper having a discharge opening therein, a triangular spur projecting downwardly from the upper edge of and into said opening for preventing the passage of articles, in other than the correct position for setting, through said passage a flat plate continuously revoluble in one direction for agitating articles inserted into the hopper, and means in the hopper for directing said articles toward said discharge opening comprising a resilient bent plate secured at one end to the hopper and having the other bent end thereof free and arranged on one side of the opening and in the path of the articles agitated by the plate todeflect said, articles from their normal path toward said opening, and a resilient stop on the other side of and adjacent the opening to prevent overthrow of said articles past the opening.

2. In a; machine of the character described, means for automatically feeding pronged fastener elements, each having prongs arranged in a circle of the same outermost diameter as the remainder of the element, in succession to the setting position with the prongs thereof lowermost, including a hopper having a discharge opening and a chute for reversing the position of the elements, a. spur in said opening in spaced relation to the bottom edge of the opening and to the side edges thereof and preventing entrance into the chute of ele- -ments with the prongs in any position but uppermost, a revoluble plate arranged in and coaxially of the hopper for supporting and agitating the elements, means for con tinuously rotating the plate in one direction a slotted impact member in the hopper arranged in the paths of the elements on the plate to cause the elements to rebound therefrom, and for directing elements in the shortest path from said member toward the discharge opening, a screw passing through the slot of the impact member for adjustably securing the member to the hopper, and a'second member adjacent said opening for halt-ing uncontrolled movement of the elements and thereby aiding the discharge of the elements through said opening, said second member extending radially inward from the opening.

3. In a machine of the character described, means for automatically feeding pronged fastener elements including a hopper, a revoluble plate forming the effective bottom of said hopper, an adjustable impact member secured to the side of said hopper in the path of a pronged fastener element projected centrifugally by said revoluble plate, said member having a substantially flat slotted portion and an end portion bent through a right angle and having the end thereof arranged adjacent the inner wall of the hopper, means passing through the slot of the slotted portion into the hopper wall for adjustably securing the member in place, said hopper having a discharge opening therein substantially in the direct path of the element rebounding from said impact member, and a spur extending into said dischar e opening and spaced from the sides and bottom edges thereof and adapted to pass between the prongs of an element pass ing through said opening only with the prongs upstanding.

4. In a machine of the character described, a hopper, having a rectangular discharge opening partly closed by a central spur depending from the upper edge of the opening and spaced from the side and bottom edges of the opening, a revoluble plate at the bottom of said hopper for projecting the element by centrifugal force against the side of said hopper, an adjustable member projecting inwardly of the side of the hopper into the path of the element so projected to change the movement of the element to a direction providing substantially the shortest path to the opening, said member sub-tending a central angle of less than 45 and having a right angle bend at the extremity thereof, and means communicating With the hopper for receiving the element and guiding the element toward setting position.

DANIEL I. REITER. 

